Ball of Yarn - 2

It’s early in the afternoon when the buses roll up in front of their hotel, a beast of a building sticking out like a gilded brick against the town’s modesty. It’s big, bright and opulent, but Sayuri doesn’t mind any of that. She’s too busy drinking in the luxury. Her eyes glimmer at the sight of fountains turning on and off in sync, the golden accents underlining the arches, the balconies, the window frames, and the logo crowning the top floor: a lone, shining tree.

Stiff after the long journey, the students languidly disembark, while the teachers dash to the front desk to collect a mountain of keys. From there, it’s all a funnelling game, each group leader being given a card, directions to their room, and an insistent pat on the back: get a move on. But before Sayuri can join the end of the ever-enlarging queue, Mitsuki grabs her wrist and pulls her to the side, Asami hurrying up behind them.

“We won’t be needing one of those,” Mitsuki says, a smug grin alight on her face. “You two are staying with me, after all.”

Asami scoffs, “What are you gonna do? Teleport us in?”

“Eh, close enough.” She calls the lift and the doors slide apart with a ding. But instead of pressing any of the buttons inside, Mitsuki touches her bracelet to the panel, the screen flashing green. They begin their ascent with little warning, the ride smooth and silent, save for the pleasant jazz spilling out the speakers. Four, five, six – Sayuri wonders when they’re going to stop, only for her curiosity to bewilder once the seven on the display counts up to a ‘P’. When the cab opens once again, Sayuri can’t help a floored gasp.

Wherever she looks, it’s all marble, rosewood, silk or leather. A deep breath doesn’t help her settle down, quite the contrary; even the air smells expensive, exotic incense and fresh-cut lilies. Hesitantly, she toes off her sneakers, then tiptoes inside, scared that even the slightest misstep might scuff the soft carpet underneath. Can she sit down? Is she even allowed to touch anything? The bookshelves by the faux fireplace, the wall-wide TV, the glass-pane door leading out to a terrace, the view beyond its railing – it’s all too much for her to take in.

She doesn’t even hear Mitsuki sneaking up behind her. “Like what you see?” she asks, her whisper raising goosebumps on Sayuri’s neck.

“I – What was that all about? How did we get here?”

“Oh, this? I just swiped it off a bellhop when he wasn’t looking.”

“Are you serious?”

“What do you think?”

“Her family owns the hotel, Sayuri,” Asami rasps, attention on a flyer folded on top of a hall table. Welcome to Morikawa Resorts.

“Tch. Killjoy.” Mitsuki’s joy wanes ever so slightly, only to spark back up as she leads Sayuri further in. “Anyway, to give you a quick tour: the bedrooms are down the hall to the right –”

“Bedrooms? Plural?”

“Well, yeah. This place is meant for a family of four. Each child with their own room, of course. Ahem, as I was saying. All the bathrooms are en suite, so there should be no fighting for the shower – though we are in a hot springs town, so you’d be pretty silly to bathe here. If you’re feeling peckish, the fridge is fully stocked, and room service is the default number on every phone. Don’t worry, it’s all on the house. As for entertainment, the home cinema has all the last gen game consoles, a karaoke function, and we should be getting broadcasts from all over the world if you’re feeling exotic. Lastly, there is –”

Mitsuki’s phone interrupts her with a poignant buzz. She checks the notification, finger lingering on the bar, ready to dismiss it with a flick. Instead, she opens it up and types up a quick reply, the effort of which slumps her shoulders and steals a sigh out of her throat.

“Grr, I gotta go,” she says.

“Something wrong?” Sayuri asks.

“Nah, just annoying. Anya-chan asked if I could help out the discipline committee with enforcing the curfew, but I forgot how anal she is about these things. Everything has to be a meeting, even though it could be a text.”

“I see. Would you like us to wait for you up here or meet you downstairs or –”

“We can link up in the lobby. Oh, that reminds me: there should be spare bracelets in your nightstands, just in case you need to come back and I’m not around. Now, see ya later!”

Playfully, Mitsuki waves them goodbye, Sayuri bashfully returning the gesture. She’s never realised before just how infectious Mitsuki’s personality is, her jolly mischief, her larger-than-life attitude – though she’ll admit that getting a glimpse (and just a glimpse) of her lifestyle does help put her in a better mood. A smile twitching on her lips, she turns around, hoping to unpack her bag, then lie down for a bit. But the moment she spins on her heels, Asami’s waiting for her, arms crossed and gaze piercing.

For a moment, they sit just like that: faces a couple inches apart, silence thick around them. But it’s not long before Sayuri can’t take it anymore, her expression breaking down in a fluster.

“What?” she asks. “Is there something on my face, or?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“Nothing. Dummy.”

“Did I do something to upset you?”

“No. Dummy.”

Is she glitching out? “… Are you feeling all right?”

“I’m fine.”

Sayuri puffs out her cheeks. Asami’s been grumpy for a while now, and if she could put it all down to her sickness before, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. But if she won’t say what’s bothering her, then there’s not much she can do; she knows all too well what assuming makes of people. Best she can try is to give it some time, maybe she’s still reeling from the trip, maybe she’ll come around. Maybe she’ll realise it’s silly to keep things from your friends, especially when they’re giving you grief. Sharing is caring, and bottling it all is just creating a pressure bomb. And nobody likes getting caught in the blast.

“Well then,” Sayuri says, picking up her bag. “I’ll be lounging in one of the bedrooms until we’ve got to go. If you need me for anything, or just wanna talk some more or do something, I’m just a knock away. Okay?”

“Okay,” Asami mutters, though the bluntness in her tone is enough to convince Sayuri that she won’t be making good on that offer.